


Fix You

by Dean_hugs_Sammy



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Comforting Dean, Gen, Hospitalization, Medical Procedures, Sick Sam Winchester, Worried Dean
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-29
Updated: 2014-12-29
Packaged: 2018-03-04 04:05:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 13,208
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2908709
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dean_hugs_Sammy/pseuds/Dean_hugs_Sammy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>What had first been an infected appendix has turned into something way more severe for the youngest Winchester.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Sort of a sequel to my story "Just a Bug". You can find that here: http://archiveofourown.org/works/2905583/chapters/6474884

Being admitted at the hospital with an appendix that had decided to perforate, which had led to peritonitis which again had developed into sepsis, was not something Sam Winchester had wished to experience in his lifetime. However, that was how things had turned out and after spending a couple of days on a ventilator that had helped the youngest Winchester breathe, Sam had finally woken up and had spent the next few days alternating between listening to his brother complain about the lack of hot nurses, and being asleep. Dean had been by his brother's side the entire time, but Sam had finally succeeded in sending Dean off to get some food for both of them. Sam was still dealing with the aftermath of his illness; he'd been tired and didn't really have much of an appetite but he'd blamed the latter on the fact that hospital food was gross – which was the reason why Dean had finally given in and had left to find something more edible for them. Sam wasn't exactly convinced he would be able to eat much at all when Dean got back, but at least Dean would be able to eat something and that had been Sam's goal all along.  
  
Sam had been hospitalized for a few days and the doctor, who had been monitoring him on a regular basis, was now doing a check-up on the young hunter.  
  
"Well, your oxygen level has increased a bit so that's good, though you still need to keep the nasal cannula for now." The doctor told Sam as he scribbled some notes down on his journal. "And the antibiotics have been doing their job as well; the sepsis is gone."

Sam looked at Dr. Calvin and noticed the thoughtful look on the man's face and the way he restlessly clicked his pen. Though the doctor had just given him good news, Sam could sense the unspoken words in the room.

"That's great doctor, but I can feel a ' _but_ ' coming up." Sam said.

"Mr. Page, I need to be honest with you." The doctor said and thumped his chin with the pen in his hand.

"It's Sam." Sam remarked.

" _Sam_ , some tissues in your body are particularly sensitive to severe shock." The doctor explained. "The kidneys can be damaged by insufficient blood flow and I believe that has happened in your case."

"So.. You're saying that my kidneys are damaged?" Sam asked with a concerned frown line between his eyes.

"They're not functioning as properly as they should be." The doctor answered.

"But what does that mean?" Sam asked and suddenly wished he hadn't sent his big brother out for food.

"It means you're experiencing what we in medical terms call renal failure." The doctor said. "Among other functions, the kidneys filter the blood and get rid of waste products. I've been monitoring your blood tests and I've noticed an increase in your urea levels which is a clear symptom of kidney failure. It's dangerous because it can affect other organs in your body like your brain, cause inflammation of the heart lining or decrease your muscle function. Since waste products are building in your blood, it explains why you're feeling tired and don't have much of an appetite."

The doctor paused for a moment to let the younger Winchester brother absorb some of the information he'd just passed on. When Sam hadn't said anything after a few moments, the doctor took it as a sign to continue.

"Another symptom of kidney failure, that I've noticed, is a decreased red blood cell count – otherwise known as anemia." The doctor continued. "That is why you're probably experiencing that your body quickly tires. You may also experience that your breathing becomes more rapid which is why you're keeping the nasal cannula for now."

Sam swallowed hard and knew that the paleness on his face right now had nothing to do with the fact that he was sick.

"There are ways to further determine the type of kidney failure you've got." The doctor said and scribbled on his journal again. "We're talking about use of ultrasound or biopsy of the kidneys."

"Bi-biopsy?" Sam stuttered and really _really_ needed Dean to be there now.

"Since we haven't determined anything yet I can't tell you what treatment we're going to use for your kidney failure, but it's possible you're going to be in dialysis. I'll let you know when I've got more information." The doctor said and shot Sam a quick smile before leaving the room.

Sam nervously fidgeted with the sheets of the hospital bed and tried to get rid of the lump that was forming in his throat while he came to the realization that he was scared. The youngest Winchester brother knew a little about a lot of things but the medical stuff – when it became as serious as this seemed to be – wasn't really something he knew much about. The doctor's words had left him frightened and confused, and in that moment Sam felt more like the little kid he had once been than the man he was supposed to be now.

"So, do you think there was a place nearby that had some of that healthy crap you like to eat? Nooo, I had to drive to the other frigging part of town to find something for you, princess." Dean babbled as he came into the hospital room carrying some brown paper bags of food.

"Dean." Sam said.

"And then I ran into this frisky little lady who dropped her number in my pocket." Dean said with a snicker while lining the food up on the small table next to Sam's hospital bed. "I seriously wondered if I should dump your sorry ass and take her for a drink instead."

"Dean." Sam said again, this time a little more insistently.

"But then again, a promise is a promise and I did promise you to bring you some decent food." Dean said.

"Dean." Sam said a third time and this time his big brother turned his head and looked at the younger man.

"Yeah?" Dean asked with a frown and stopped what he was doing when he saw the expression on Sam's face. "Sammy?"

"The doctor was here while you were gone." Sam said. "He ehm.. He didn't have great news."

Dean put down the cup of coffee he had been grasping in his hand and stared at his brother.

"What kinda bad news?" Dean asked warily.

"He said my kidneys are damaged." Sam said and started picking at a thread in the corner of the covers without looking at Dean. "That it explains why I'm tired and haven't got any appetite. The doctor said it could affect my brain, heart, muscles.."

"What?" Dean asked with wide eyes.

"That's what he said." Sam said in a small voice.

Dean washed a hand down his face and then noticed how upset his brother looked.

"What else did the doctor tell you?" Dean asked.

Sam shrugged his shoulders and still didn't look Dean in the eyes so Dean gently lifted Sam's chin and forced his little brother to look at him.

"What did he tell you?" Dean asked in a soft voice and swallowed hard as Sam's eyes suddenly filled with unshed tears. "Hey, it's okay. You can tell me."

Dean put a hand on the back of Sam's neck and gave it a mild squeeze. Sam blinked back the tears that had threatened to fall and then cleared his throat.

"He said they'll do some tests to determine the right treatment.. Something about a biopsy." Sam admitted and Dean's brows furrowed. "Dean, I'm.. I'm.."

_Scared._

Sam didn't even have to say anything because Dean could clearly see how frightened his brother was.

"I know." Dean said and held Sam's look. "But it's gonna be alright."

Dean kept eye contact with Sam a little while longer and gave his brother's neck another reassuring squeeze before moving away.

"You know what, why don't you try to eat something?" Dean asked and nodded towards the food he'd lined up on the small table next to the bed. "I'll go have a little talk with the doctor."

"I don't think I'll be able to eat anything, Dean." Sam said while eyeing the food.

The mere thought of eating something made him feel nauseous, and Sam didn't know whether it was because he was ill or because of the bad news he'd just received.

"Just try, okay?" Dean said. "I'll be back soon again."

"Okay." Sam said in a small voice.

Dean let his hand linger a bit on the doorknob and glanced back at his defeated brother before he opened the door and started searching for the doctor.

**_ SPN _**

"Why did you say all those things to Sam?" Dean angrily exclaimed as he burst through the door to the doctor's office.

Dr. Calvin looked up in surprise from behind the pile of papers on his desk and eyed the oldest Winchester brother warily.

"I was just being honest with him." The doctor answered. "Your brother's kidneys.."

"Yeah, Sam already told me." Dean said, cutting the doctor off. "But you had _no_ right to scare him like that!"

"No offence Mr. Page, but your brother is a grown man." Dr. Calvin said with patience. "And he has the right to know what's going on with him."

"Yeah, but you could at least have waited until I was there with him so he didn't have to receive the bad news on his own." Dean said and let out a sigh as the doctor gestured towards the chair in front of his desk, before he plopped down on it.

"Mr. Page, I can't say for sure what treatment we're going to use on Sam but I think it's very likely that Sam will receive dialysis." The doctor said.

"For how long?" Dean asked.

"I don't know." The doctor answered sincerely. "Sometimes it's only necessary for a few weeks but other times.. Well, we'll see what happens."

Dean nodded his understanding. Sam _had_ to be alright.. He just _had_ to.


	2. Chapter 2

Dean had seen a lot of things happen to Sam throughout the years. When Sam had been 8 and had crashed on his bike, Dean had been the one to clean the wound on Sam's knee, remove the piece of glass that had been stuck in it, and had applied a big band-aid on top of the wound while comforting the crying kid. When Sam was 12 he'd been pushed down from the monkey bars on the playground at school. Dean had held Sam's hand while a nurse had put a cast on Sam's broken arm, and had the following day beat the crap out of the kids who'd caused his baby brother misery. Dean had been 18 when he'd killed a man for the first time – a man who had held a gun to the youngest Winchester's head and had been seconds away from pulling the trigger. It had been Dean's first (non-supernatural) kill but it had been far from the last one because when Sam was concerned, there was nothing Dean wouldn't do for him.

That was why it was so damn hard for Dean to sit back and watch as the doctor prepared Sam for the long needle, he was going to stick into his little brother's back, without being able to do anything about it. He couldn't fix everything with a simple band-aid. He couldn't beat up or kill anyone for hurting his brother. All Dean _could_ do in that moment was grasp the hand Sam was reaching out towards him, as a nurse injected some anesthetic under his brother's skin.

"It's okay." Dean said in a soft voice when Sam hissed a little.

"The anesthetic may sting a bit." Dr. Calvin said and Sam nodded into his pillow.

The younger brother, who was lying face down on the hospital bed, squeezed Dean's hand as the doctor made a tiny cut in Sam's skin, and Dean swallowed hard when the doctor lined up the long needle above Sam's back.

"Okay Sam. I'm going to count to three and then I want you to take a big breath and hold it. Can you do that for me?" The doctor asked.

"Yeah." Sam answered which came out a bit muffled through the pillow.

"Ready? One, two, three." The doctor counted.

Sam drew in a deep breath and the doctor stuck the needle into one of Sam's kidneys at the same time. Dean decided to look at Sam's face instead of the nasty procedure and watched as Sam clenched his eyes shut and squeezed Dean's hand tight.

"Sam, I need you to take some deep breaths." The doctor said. "I need to verify that the needle is in place."

Sam did as he was told and the doctor nodded before he removed the biopsy needle. Dean let out a relieved breath while a nurse put pressure to the biopsy site to stop the bleeding, but he then frowned in confusion as the doctor lined up the needle once more.

"What are you doing?" Dean demanded to know.

"We have to collect enough tissue for the examination." The doctor answered.

"So one big poke with the giant needle wasn't enough?" Dean asked with rising anger.

"Dean." Sam said. "It's okay."

"Okay, my ass.." Dean muttered and shot the doctor a threatening glare.

"Deep breath, Sam." The doctor said, ignoring the oldest brother. "One, two, three."

The needle was inserted in Sam's back once more and Dean wanted nothing more than to throttle the doctor.

**_ SPN _**

Dean draped the blanket closer around his sleeping brother – passed the place where Dean knew Sam now had a big bandage on the opposite side of his body, up to around Sam's shoulders. He brushed Sam's bangs away from his pale face before he sat down in the chair next to the hospital bed to resume his task of watching over his brother. The biopsy had taken a lot of strength out of Sam and had, combined with the pain medicine Sam had received right after the procedure, knocked the youngest Winchester brother out cold.

Dean carded a hand through his hair and let out a long sigh. He couldn't believe that this had all started out as something as simple as appendicitis, but when had anything ever been simple when you were a Winchester? It was weird though to know that they fought demons, monsters and ghosts on an everyday basis, which they most of the time were able to walk away from more or less unharmed, but it was a natural cause that had beat down Sam Winchester. Dean laughed humorlessly at that conclusion which ended in something that sounded unmistakably much like a sob.

Sam was still asleep four hours later when the doctor entered the room carrying Sam's case record. Dean glanced once more at his sleeping brother, before turning his attention towards the doctor with a look that said _'This better be good_.' The doctor stopped up in a safe distance from the older brother and cleared his throat before speaking.

"I'm here to inform you that we will get Sam started on dialyses tomorrow." The doctor said. "Your brother's kidneys are worse off than I first expected. I'm not sure dialyses will be enough but it's the best treatment for now."

Dean didn't say anything. He closed his eyes and willed his emotions at bay before he turned his eyes back on Sam - his little brother that looked so vulnerable and, considering his size, so surprisingly small in the hospital bed.

"Don't even think about waking him up." Dean said to the doctor in a low but threatening voice. "I'll tell him myself."

The doctor shuffled his feet and looked a bit insecure between the Winchesters before he decided that it was pointless to start a discussion with the older brother. He nodded shortly and then left the room without further ado. Dean stared worriedly at Sam for a little while before he reached out his hand, adjusted the nasal cannula underneath Sam's nose a bit and caressed his brother's cheek in a tender way. Dean tried to swallow past the lump in his throat but wasn't able to stop the single tear that left his eye and slowly made its way down his cheek.

**_ SPN _**

Sam woke up a couple of hours later. He hadn't got a clue about how long he'd been asleep but judging from how exhausted he felt, Sam guessed it couldn't have been for long. He felt a bit short of breath and dizzy when he tried to move, and it didn't help that the pain medication he'd received after the biopsy, was wearing off. Besides the soreness of his back, Sam also had what appeared to be a building headache and, to top it all, he also felt cold.

Sam lifted his heavy arms that were covered in IV-lines and blew some hot air on his cold hands before he rubbed them a bit together in an attempt to get some warmth into them. He lowered his arms back down on the bed when he became too tired to keep them up, and the youngest Winchester then turned his head to look for his brother. Sam smiled wryly when his eyes fell upon his older brother who was slumbering in the chair next to the bed. Dean didn't look good though, Sam noticed with concern, as he let his eyes wander across Dean's exhausted features. But Sam was satisfied with the fact that Dean was at least catching some Zs.

When Sam tried to shift his position on the bed a bit, he couldn't help the groan that escaped his mouth and the sound immediately made Dean jerk awake.

"Sammy?" Dean asked even before he was truly alert.

"Right here, Dean." Sam said as Dean straightened up in his chair and rubbed at his eyes for a moment.

"How are you doing?" Dean asked.

"I'm okay." Sam said.

"Uh-huh.." Dean said in disbelief while taking in Sam's too pale face and the dark circles under his eyes.

_Sam looked terrible._

"I'm cold." Sam then admitted and looked at Dean with big round puppy dog eyes and a slight pout on his lips.

"That's probably because you're anemic – doctor told me." Dean said as he got up from the chair and started rummaging through some cabinets until he found an extra blanket. "I'm still considering kicking that guy's ass!"

"Why? He is just doing his job, Dean." Sam said while Dean draped the second blanket over his brother. "Thanks."

"He's a dickhead, that's what he is." Dean huffed.

"Is he acting like a dickhead or did he just tell you something you didn't like to hear?" Sam asked.

Dean looked out of the hospital window while considering Sam's question for a few moments. It was dark outside but the lights of millions of stars lightened up the sky above them.

"Dean?" Sam asked.

"Probably both." Dean admitted before he tore his eyes away from the stars and looked at his younger brother. "Sam, the doctor stopped by while you were asleep."

"Oh." Sam said and studied Dean's expression. "What did he say?"

Dean sighed and sat down in the chair next to his brother again. He washed a hand down his face and then found Sam's questioning green eyes with his own similar ones.

"You're gonna be in dialysis from tomorrow." Dean said without losing eye contact with Sam. "The doctor couldn't say for how long but that is what's going to happen for now."

Sam bit his lower lip and looked away while nodding. The exhaustion he'd felt when he'd woken up was still very much present and his eyelids were becoming more and more heavy by every minute.

"Dean?" He asked after a little bit of silence.

"Yeah, Sammy?" Dean said.

"Did the doctor mention how badly damaged my kidneys are?" Sam wanted to know.

"No, he didn't say anything about that." Dean lied after a short hesitation. "Let's just focus on the dialysis tomorrow, alright? You'll be just fine."

"Promise?" Sam asked in a way that made him sound so young.

"Promise." Dean said and shot his brother a confident smile.

Sam returned the smile and, comforted by his big brother's reassurances, he let his eyes slide closed and drifted off shortly after. As soon as Sam's breathing had evened out, and he was positive that Sam was out for the count, Dean got up from his chair, went into the small bathroom attached to the hospital room, and emptied his stomach into the toilet bowl.


	3. Chapter 3

"What is that?" Dean asked as the nurse prepared a syringe with some medication to inject under his little brother's skin.

"It's called Renagel." The nurse explained as she tapped the syringe with her finger a couple of times. "It's a Phosphorus-lowering medication since Sam's body can't remove it properly from the blood."

Dean exchanged a look with his weary brother, who just shrugged his shoulders, and he then turned his attention back to the nurse. Sam winced a little when the nurse poked him with the needle but he didn't make a sound. The nurse drew the needle back and put the syringe away before preparing a new one with a different type of medication all the while Dean watched her every move.

"And that is?" Dean asked.

"Iron supplements." The nurse sighed and then injected the medication into a vein in Sam's arm.

Dean figured that the nurse was probably growing tired of his constant questions about Sam's treatment – he'd asked questions when the nurse had given Sam vitamins and blood pressure medications as well – but Dean couldn't find it in his heart to care. This was _Sam_ they were talking about, not just anyone.

Speaking of said brother, Sam wasn't doing very well. To Dean's big dismay, Sam had - since the biopsy he'd had the day before - just kept getting worse. He still didn't have much of an appetite and he was nauseous all the time. He had headaches, back pains and was tired beyond imagination but Sam couldn't really sleep properly. Even though the anemia was making him sleepy, the kidney failure made it difficult for him to fall asleep – or _stay_ asleep if he'd been so lucky to finally manage to get a little rest. Sam had also scared the crap out of Dean earlier in the day when his muscles had suddenly started twitching and cramping. Dean had in a moment of panic shouted (in a very masculine and not at all girly way) for a doctor because he'd believed Sam was having some sort of seizure, but when the doctor had arrived he'd just simply stated that muscle cramps was a natural symptom of kidney failure and that Sam just had to ride it out. The doctor had been very lucky he'd left shortly after that statement because Dean had been ready to rip the man's lungs out for those words.

"When will he start on dialyses?" Dean asked the nurse when she finished providing Sam with meds.

"The doctor will inform you when it's time." The nurse said and left the room.

" _The doctor will inform you when it's time._ " Dean mimicked while making a face and Sam raised his eyebrows.

"What are you? Five?" Sam asked.

"What I _am_ is sick of the lack of info this hospital provides us with." Dean complained and started pacing back and forth in the small hospital room. "The doctor is an idiot and the nurses, Sammy – the nurses aren't hot at all!"

"Dean, the nurses don't have to be hot for them to do their job." Sam said which made Dean stop his pacing and look at Sam like had the younger brother suddenly grown a second head.

"I'm gonna pretend you didn't say that." Dean said before he continued to walk back and forth in the room. "Maybe I should have you transferred to a hospital with hot nurses and better treatment."

"Yeah? Like where?" Sam asked with an amused smile.

"You know.. Like.. like.. frigging Lawrence for instance!" Dean suggested. "I'm pretty sure they took good care of you when you were born. I don't remember mom saying anything bad about the hospital staff."

"Dude, you were four." Sam chuckled but it quickly turned into a hissing sound.

"Sam? What's wrong?" Dean asked worriedly and closed the gap between him and his brother in a hurry.

"Cramps." Sam panted out and clenched his eyes shut while fisting the sheets of the bed.

"Where?" Dean asked.

"Legs." Sam groaned.

Dean had been helpless the last time it had happened because he hadn't known what was happening to his brother, but now that he knew, he wasn't going to sit back and do nothing while Sam suffered. Dean lifted the bottom of Sam's blankets and rubbed his hands together to get them a little warmer before he started massaging one of Sam's cramping legs and stretched it a bit. Dean worked efficiently on both legs while keeping an eye on his brother's face and he felt relieved when Sam became more and more relaxed, since that meant what Dean was doing was helping.

"Thanks." Sam sighed and fell back onto the bed like a ragdoll while trying to catch his rapid breath.

"No problem." Dean said with a little smile, put the blankets back down and tugged Sam properly in. "This is just like when you were a kid and had growing pains. You remember that?"

"Yeah." Sam nodded with exhaustion. "I remember."

"Only difference is that you weren't so freakishly tall back then, Sasquatch." Dean remarked and then snorted as old childhood memories popped into his mind. "You never came to dad when you weren't feeling well or when you were hurt. You always came to me instead."

"That's because I knew.." Sam said.

"What?" Dean asked.

"That you were the one who could fix it." Sam admitted and Dean's chest clenched painfully by those words. "Dean, this.. this might be something you can't fix for once."

"Don't be stupid, Sammy." Dean said.

"I'm not being stupid." Sam protested.

"Yes, you are!" Dean loudly exclaimed. "And I'm _not_ having this conversation with you. You're going to be just fine so you can shut up right now!"

"But what if I'm _not_ gonna be fine?" Sam asked in a small voice. "Dean, my kidneys are damaged and so far I've only become worse."

"Well, you haven't even started on dialyses yet." Dean said. "Besides, I don't think you get what I'm saying here, bro. You're gonna be fine and you know why? Because _I_ said so, okay? No matter what the doctor says I'm going to make sure you get well again – and I _will_ find a way. Mark my words!"

There was a little bit of silence in the room while the two Winchester brothers just stared at each other, trying to read each other's expressions.

"Okay." Sam finally said.

"Okay?" Dean repeated.

"Yeah, okay." Sam said and Dean saw nothing but trust in the younger brother's eyes.

Dean wondered if this was the right time to go all in on the chick-flick wave, he'd been riding for the past few minutes, and give Sam a hug to emphasize his promise, but the moment was ruined as Dr. Calvin stepped into the room.

"We're ready to put you on dialysis, Sam." The doctor announced.

About an hour later, Sam was sitting in the bed, propped up on pillows. He had some special catheters inserted into the larger vessels of his left arm and the doctor was currently connecting the tubing from the arm to the dialyzer. Dean was watching the doctor like a hawk which seemed to annoy the physician tremendously but Dean didn't care.

"You just sit back and relax." The doctor told Sam. "You might feel a little bit of discomfort but it's a natural side effect of dialysis so there's no need to panic if that happens."

Sam nodded and Dean noticed how thin his little brother was becoming. Sam had always been a skinny kid but it really didn't help that he'd lost weight during his hospital stay.

"The treatment will take a couple of hours, maybe more." The doctor said. "I'll return to you later."

With those words, the doctor left the room – leaving the brothers alone.

"So, how does it feel?" Dean wanted to know.

"I can't really feel anything." Sam said with a thoughtful look. "So I guess it's alright."

"That's good." Dean said and sat down in the chair next to Sam's bed. "Doctor said it's gonna take a while. Care to watch some TV?"

"Sure." Sam answered and Dean then flicked the TV on.

They were halfway through a rerun of 'Friends' when things started turning the wrong way.

"Dean." Sam suddenly said and Dean turned his head to see that Sam's face had turned a new shade of white and a bead of sweat had appeared on the younger brother's forehead. "I'm gonna be sick."

Dean reached out for an empty food bag and held it underneath Sam's mouth just in time for the youngest brother to start heaving into it. Dean was quite surprised that Sam had got something to throw up at all since eating hadn't exactly been on Sam's agenda these days but that didn't stop him for rubbing Sam's back in a soothing way.

"Just get it all out." Dean encouraged. "You'll feel better in a minute."

Dean kept rubbing his brother's back until Sam's upset stomach eventually settled down, and after Dean had removed the bag of vomit, the younger man let his head come to a rest against Dean's shoulder.

"You okay, Sammy?" Dean asked after a little while.

"I feel like crap." Sam mumbled.

"You kinda smell like crap too." Dean commented, trying to lighten up the tension. "No wonder there're no hot nurses around here – they've all left this floor to get away from you, stinky."

"Ha, ha. Very funny." Sam said dryly and Dean snickered.

The brothers stayed like this for a little while, all the while Dean kept rubbing Sam's back in circles. When Dean at last decided to move a bit, he discovered that Sam had fallen asleep against his shoulder. Dean smiled a little as he removed some of the pillows and eased Sam back down on the bed. He just hoped that Sam would be able to get a little more rest this time around. Satisfied with the fact that Sam continued to rest, Dean leaned back in his chair and spent the next period of time alternating between watching TV and watching his little brother sleep.

 


	4. Chapter 4

There were a lot of things that could annoy Bobby Singer. For instance.. One: He hated when he had to deal with ignorant people (mostly police officers) who wouldn't know what a vampire was even if they had fangs sticking into their necks. Two: Running out of whiskey. Yeah, how would _you_ feel if _you_ ran out of your favorite medicine? Three: Rufus Turner. Four: Nosy neighbors. Sioux Falls had a lot of those! Five: To be disturbed in any kind of way - and that especially included being woken up in the middle of the night by some jackass banging loudly on the front door.

Bobby reached out for his shotgun as the banging noise continued, and he groaned when he glanced at the clock radio to see it wasn't more than 4.34 a.m.

"I swear, I'm gonna blow the brains out on whoever is knocking on that door." Bobby muttered as he made his way down the stairs and walked to the door with the shotgun in one hand.

When he reached the door, he carefully moved the curtain a bit aside to peek outside and Bobby's eyes widened a bit when he saw who was standing outside the door. Bobby put the shotgun down and ripped the door open before coming face to face with one of his favorite two idjits in the world.

"Dean? Why the hell are you trying to knock down my house in the middle of the night, boy?" Bobby grumbled.

"I need your help." Dean said with a weary expression on his face.

"You don't look good." Bobby noticed with concern. "Something happen?"

"It's Sam." Dean said. "He's sick."

"Sam is sick?" Bobby asked. "Where is he?"

"In the car. It's pretty bad." Dean remarked - which made the older hunter frown in confusion and worry - before he turned around and walked towards his car.

Bobby followed Dean to the black Chevy Impala, the younger man had parked in the salvage yard, and as Dean opened up the passenger door, Bobby couldn't hold back a gasp when his eyes caught sight of the youngest Winchester brother. Sam looked.. well, there weren't really any words to describe it. Sam looked absolutely terrible. His face was as pale as snow and he had dark circles underneath his normally so bright-looking eyes. Sam's cheeks looked to be a bit more sunken now than the last time Bobby had seen him which probably had something to do with the fact that the kid had become pretty thin, and he just looked so weak and fragile that it tore at the older hunter's heartstrings.

"Hi Bobby." Sam said with a little smile.

"What the hell happened?" Bobby exclaimed while Dean locked his hands underneath Sam's armpits and carefully hauled his brother out of the car.

Sam swayed a little but the arm Dean had wrapped around Sam's back kept him from falling anywhere.

"Let's first get Sam inside – then we'll talk." Dean said and Bobby nodded before he led the way back inside the house.

"I'll get the guestroom ready." Bobby said when the brothers had made it into the house.

"Couch is fine." Sam panted out.

"Don't be ridiculous, Sammy." Dean said. "You don't even fit on the couch."

"I've slept on the couch many times." Sam reminded his older brother.

"But you weren't this sick those times." Dean said and received a glare from the younger brother. "What?"

"I'm too tired for the stairs." Sam said in a miserable way, and it was true – he was completely drained of energy.

"You know what, I'll find a mattress and put it on the floor in the living room." Bobby said. "No further discussion."

"Fine." Both Winchester brothers said at the same time, and whether they agreed because it was the best solution, _or_ out of respect for the older man, was unknown.

Once the mattress had been placed on the floor and Sam had been stationed on it, Bobby poured himself and Dean each a glass of whiskey and leaned back against the edge of his desk.

"Now tell me what this is all about." Bobby demanded. "What's wrong with Sam? And why on earth is that boy not hospitalized? He looks horrible."

"I'm right here, Bobby." Sam remarked but the older hunter ignored it and stared at Dean.

"Well?" Bobby pushed.

"It all started with Sam having the shits." Dean started when Sam cut him off.

"Nice Dean. Thanks." He said with an eye roll.

"What? That was how it started." Dean said.

"You're still allowed to skip a few of the details." Sam muttered and now it was Dean's turn to roll his eyes.

" _Fine_!" Dean sighed. "Turns out Sam had appendicitis."

"Well, that's not so bad." Bobby said.

"No, it wouldn't have been if we'd been at the hospital in time. The appendix perforated." Dean said with regret and took a sip of his whiskey.

"Then what?" Bobby wanted to know and eyed the younger brother who was currently struggling with one of the numerous of blankets he'd been provided with.

"He developed peritonitis." Dean explained as he automatically adjusted Sam's blankets. "Which led to blood-poisoning."

"Balls." Bobby commented.

"Tell me about it." Dean said. "They put him on a frigging ventilator to help him breathe and he didn't wake up before a couple of days later and by that time, his kidneys had been damaged."

"Come again?" Bobby said with big eyes.

"You heard me; damaged kidneys." Dean repeated. "Doctor put him on dialyses a couple of days ago."

Bobby emptied his glass of whiskey in one gulp and then put it down hard on the table.

"Damn it, boys!" Bobby exclaimed and washed a hand down his face. "Wait - if Sam needs dialyses, what the hell are you two doing here then?"

"Well.. Funny story actually." Dean said with a small snort and scratched the hair on the back of his neck.

"What did you do this time, Dean?" Bobby sighed.

"Well for starters; I didn't like the hospital and I wanted Sam transferred to another hospital with better care." Dean explained.

"And?" Bobby asked.

"Yeah Dean, tell him." Sam remarked from the mattress.

"I um.. I kinda clocked the doctor." Dean said with a sheepish smile.

"You did _what?_ " Bobby exclaimed.

"He had it coming!" Dean said.

"And why is that?" Bobby demanded to know.

"The guy was an ass!" Dean said.

"That still doesn't make it alright, Dean." Sam said.

"Sam, we've been through this already." Dean said. "Besides, none of it matters now. What _does_ matter is that we can now look for a hospital that'll treat you right."

"Well, how about Sioux Falls General then?" Bobby suggested. "It's not far from here which means I'll be able to keep an eye on you idjits."

"How are their treatments?" Dean asked.

"What Dean means is how do the nurses look?" Sam remarked.

"Shut up, Sam." Dean said.

"Well it's a hospital." Bobby said with a shrug of his shoulders. "It's not like they're eating people or anything."

"Well, I'll check it out." Dean said. "Can we stay here for now?"

"You don't even have to ask, boy." Bobby said. "You can stay as long as you want."

"Thanks Bobby." Dean said.

"Yeah, thank you." Sam agreed.

"Yeah yeah, just don't get your panties in a twist." Bobby said. "You need anything else?"

"No, I've got it." Dean said.

"Good. Now get some rest you idjits!" Bobby said before he left the room to go back to sleep.

It wasn't exactly a good night. Sam's body was restless and even though he was sleepy, he couldn't really stay asleep for long at a time. Especially not since his limbs kept going into cramps and to make it even worse; Sam's nausea took over and he started throwing up. Luckily for him, he didn't have to go through all of these things alone because Dean stood by Sam's side through it all. He massaged his little brother's cramping limbs, held the bucket under Sam's mouth when he threw up and made sure Sam stayed as warm and comfy as possible. When the sun rose, the younger Winchester brother had finally fallen into a somewhat peaceful sleep with his head placed in Dean's lap – and that was how Bobby found them a couple of hours later. The sight of it made him smile (which he was _not_ gonna share with any of the brothers!) and Bobby let them stay asleep as he went to the kitchen to make coffee.

Dean woke up when the smell of coffee reached his nostrils. He slowly blinked his eyes open and noticed two things; He was at Bobby's and Sam was asleep with his head in Dean's lap. The oldest Winchester brother rubbed at his eyes and carefully moved Sam's head to a pillow before he got up from the floor and walked to the kitchen.

"Good morning." Bobby said when he detected the young hunter. "How's your brother?"

"Not so well but at least he's sleeping for now." Dean said as he poured himself a cup of coffee.

"Rough night?" Bobby asked.

"You have no idea." Dean sighed and sat down by the kitchen table. "I'm taking him to Sioux Falls General as soon as possible."

"Oh. What made you make up your mind?" Bobby wanted to know.

Dean glanced in Sam's direction with guilt written all over his face.

"He's not getting better, only worse." Dean told the older man. "I shouldn't have moved him anywhere – he needs a hospital."

Bobby studied Dean's expression while he took a gulp of coffee. There was definitely something Dean didn't tell him.

"What was the real reason you punched the doctor?" Bobby asked after a little while of silence.

"He was a dick." Dean said.

"The _real_ reason, Dean." Bobby said sharply.

"He.. um.. He told me that Sam would probably stay on dialyses for the rest of his life." Dean confessed. "But he didn't think Sam's kidneys would keep functioning for very long – even with the dialyses."

"And then you hit him?" Bobby asked.

"Yeah." Dean admitted.

Bobby nodded and then had to gulp down some more coffee to try to get rid of the lump that had formed in his throat. He followed Dean's gaze to the living room where Sam was currently shifting a little bit in his sleep. Sam let out a soft whimper and Dean immediately moved to his brother's side and gently touched Sam's shoulder while muttering something in his little brother's ear. It seemed to do the trick because Sam stopped shifting right away.

"Don't worry, Sammy." Dean whispered to his brother. "I'll fix you."


	5. Chapter 5

Sam was not doing any better when he woke up again sometime midday and he definitely wasn't in any shape to do anything else than stay horizontal all day. That was why it hurt Dean deeply inside to be forced to help Sam into his shoes and a jacket before helping his brother to the car so that they could drive to Sioux Falls General.

"Dean, stop hovering." Sam sighed when Dean reached over and buckled Sam in before wrapping a blanket around the younger man.

"Stop complaining." Dean retorted while tucking the blanket closely in.

Dean then stepped back, closed the passenger door and turned to his surrogate father who had been watching the brothers with a soft expression on his face. Dean lifted an eyebrow and Bobby cleared his throat while getting rid of the softness at the same time.

"You let me know what the doctor says, Dean." Bobby ordered and Dean nodded while quickly glancing at Sam's pale face through the glass of the side door window. "Sam will be alright."

"Yeah." Dean said without much conviction.

"You can't give up on him. Sam is a strong kid." Bobby said.

"Oh, I'm not giving up on him." Dean said. "I just don't believe in a miraculous recovery because, let's face it, luck never came with being a Winchester. But if the doctors can't help him, I'll find a way to fix him."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Bobby wanted to know.

Dean just shrugged his shoulders and started walking around the car to the driver side.

"Dean?" Bobby asked but the younger hunter didn't answer the question. "Just.. don't do anything stupid now, okay?"

"Bye, Bobby." Dean said before he got inside the car, turned the key in the ignition and left the salvage yard behind with his sick brother by his side.

Halfway to the hospital, Sam's nausea got the better of him but Dean had luckily been prepared. As soon as Sam showed the first signs of being about to throw up, Dean had quickly pulled the car over, had reached for the bucket he'd brought from Bobby's and had placed it in Sam's lap just in time for the younger brother to start vomiting. As Dean soothingly rubbed Sam's back, he wondered with worry how Sam could continue to throw up when he was barely able to eat anything at all.

"I'm sorry." Sam apologized when he was done heaving.

"Don't apologize, Sam, it's not your fault." Dean reminded his younger brother as he placed a hand on Sam's forehead and used it to guide his brother's head back against the seat.

Sam was panting hard – his breathing ragged and a bit wheezing which Dean _so_ not liked the sound of. Sam should never have been off the extra oxygen and Dean once again felt guilty about taking Sam out of the hospital in the first place. He then noticed that Sam had some saliva on his chin so he found a napkin and held it out in front of Sam.

"You've got something on your chin." Dean said and awkwardly waved the napkin in the air. "You good or do you want me to.."

"I'm good." Sam said, cutting Dean off, and even though the younger brother could barely grab the napkin with his shaky hand, Dean still let him. If he couldn't make Sam's illness go away, he could at least let his little brother keep a little bit of his dignity.

Sam slowly removed the saliva from his chin with the napkin but when he looked down on it, he suddenly stopped dead in his tracks.

"Dean." He said and the oldest Winchester brother immediately jerked his head towards Sam by the tone of Sam's voice.

"What?" Dean asked.

Sam held up the napkin and Dean's heart dropped when he spotted the red stains on it. _Blood._ He looked from the napkin to the bucket in Sam's lap and noticed the red-colored spatters on the sides of it. Dean's heart pounded wildly inside his chest and he gaped stupidly for a few moments.

"Dean." Sam then said with panic evident in his voice which was what made Dean snap out of it.

"It's alright, Sammy. Nothing to worry about." Dean said and took the bucket away from Sam before steering the Impala back on the road.

The two of them remained silent for a few miles until Sam finally broke the silence.

"It's bad, isn't it?" Sam asked.

"It's just a little blood." Dean said between gritted teeth. "You've had worse."

"Throwing up blood is never a good sign. Besides, it's not just that – it's this whole mess." Sam said. "I'm not stupid Dean, I know there was a reason you hit that doctor. What did he tell you?"

"Sam." Dean sighed exasperated.

"What did he tell you?" Sam repeated and studied his brother's face. "Did he tell you I was gonna die or something?"

"Sammy, please." Dean begged.

"That's it, isn't it? He told you I'm going to die." Sam concluded and felt nausea well up again – this time from the realization that he probably wasn't going to make it through this one.

"You're _not_ going to die!" Dean assured but Sam wasn't very convinced.

"You don't know that, Dean." Sam said.

"Dammit Sam!" Dean shouted and punched the steering wheel which made the younger brother jump a little. "I'm telling you you're gonna be fine! I promise, okay? Do I ever break any promises?"

Sam didn't answer. He just looked out of the window with a clenched jaw.

"Come on, Sammy." Dean said and Sam sighed.

"Yes, you've broken a lot of promises." Sam finally answered and Dean glared.

" _Fine_ , let me rephrase it then; do I ever break any promises I make _you_?" Dean asked.

"No." Sam said without any hesitation. "But Dean, you have to accept the fact that I'm seriously ill and that this probably won't end well."

"Says who? The doctor?" Dean asked. "Sam, the doctors don't know half of the stuff we do. Some way or another, I _will_ find a way to fix you."

"But not on the expense of you." Sam said.

Dean didn't say anything and Sam was too tired to argue any further so the brothers stayed quiet the rest of the way to the hospital.

**_ SPN _**

The hospital staff at Sioux Falls General was quite efficient. Dean had barely gotten Sam inside the hospital before the younger brother was admitted and put back on oxygen. Sam's new doctor – a sympathetic elderly man with crescent-shaped glasses and grey hair - had examined the youngest Winchester brother as soon as they got there, and he'd assured the brothers that there was no need to panic about the bloody vomit. Apparently it came along with the kidney failure and Dean didn't know whether to be relieved or not about that conclusion. Sam had also been complaining a little about chest pains that occurred every time he took a breath and only got worse when he was lying down flat, so Sam's bed had been elevated a bit to relieve the pain.

Dean had just been getting himself a cup of coffee when he returned to the room to find the doctor hovering over his brother – his little brother who by the way looked even worse now.

"What's going on?" Dean wanted to know and closed the gap between the door and the hospital bed.

"Sam is running a little fever." The doctor explained and shot the younger brother a mild smile.

Sam tried to return the smile but it came out as more of a grimace than anything else.

"Is that normal?" Dean asked and put the cup of coffee on a table next to the bed.

"It's nothing we can't handle." The doctor said. "Now, I suggest we let Sam try to get some rest. Can I have a word with you Mr. Singer?"

"Sure." Dean said before turning his attention towards Sam. "I'm just gonna talk to the doctor and then I'll be right back."

"'Kay De." Sam said and then coughed a little.

Dean's brow furrowed a bit but he chose to not comment on it and instead gave Sam's shoulder a mild squeeze. He then followed the doctor out of the room and closed the door behind him before following the man a little further away from Sam's room.

"I still can't believe you're Bobby Singer's nephews. Bobby is an old friend of mine." The doctor said before his expression turned serious. "I'll cut to the chase, Mr. Singer. Sam has developed acute pericarditis which is an inflammation of the pericardium – the fibrous sac that surrounds the heart. Before you ask, then yes; it is serious but not with the right treatment. I've already started Sam on Naproxen and he should be alright."

"Okay." Dean said while trying to process the new information and trying to control his rapidly-beating heart.

"I'm more worried about his kidneys." The doctor continued. "I'm going to start him on dialysis as soon as possible. Since Sam's stage of kidney failure is pretty advanced and he needs to be on dialysis at least three times a week, what I need to discuss with you is how you will like the treatment to happen. There are several options."

"Like what?" Dean asked.

"Well for instance, we can treat your brother at the hospital _or_ we can have him on home-dialysis instead which some people prefer to spare the journey back and forth the hospital all the time." The doctor said. "If you choose the latter, we have some special equipment you can take home with you."

"So you're saying that I can take care of Sam without having to stay at the hospital?" Dean asked and when the doctor nodded, the older Winchester brother smiled wryly. "I guess we have a deal then, doctor."

"Home-dialysis it is then." The doctor smiled and shook Dean's hand. "I'm going to give him the first round of dialysis here at the hospital and make sure the pericarditis is treated before I'll release your brother, but afterwards you're free to leave. You of course still have to check in every now and then so we can keep an eye on Sam's health – especially since a kidney transplantation might be necessary at some point – but for now, this is how we're gonna do this."

Dean returned to Sam's hospital room in a lighter mood than he'd had when they'd first got there and he pulled a chair over to the side of Sam's bed before grabbing his cup of coffee. Sam was asleep and the younger man's pale face looked peaceful for now. Dean adjusted his little brother's covers and leaned back with the coffee to watch over Sam – like he'd always done – while thinking about how their lives were going to change for a while. As long as Sam was this sick they wouldn't be able to go on any hunts, but right now Dean couldn't care less about it. Yes, he did care about the lives of the innocent people out there in the world but Sam's well-being came first. Always had, always would. Dean picked up his cell phone and dialed a number before putting the phone to his ear and waited for the person on the other end of the line to pick up.

"Hi Bobby." Dean said in a hushed voice when the older hunter picked up. "Listen, you might wanna keep that mattress in your living room a little longer. Sam and I are gonna hold up for a while."  
  



	6. Chapter 6

Sam had been throwing up – again and again. It happened every single time he had been put on dialysis, and Dean had become more and more frustrated about it. That was why he, after the first week back at Bobby's, had decided to give Sam's doctor a call to ask if there was any way to avoid the fact that Sam was hurting so much. To Dean's big relief, the doctor had been very helpful and had suggested that Sam was put on dialysis while he slept at night, instead of during the daytime which he'd been doing so far. The amount of hours Sam had to be on dialysis at a time had also been increased, and it had all been a big improvement for the younger brother. The new treatment made it possible to avoid too much nausea and too many cramps which meant that Sam was able to sleep more comfortably. It also meant that, even though Sam was still so weak that he couldn't even had beaten up a kindergartener if he'd wanted to, he was able to move around on his own which Sam appreciated very much.

"Good morning." Sam said as he moved from the living room to the kitchen with slow and careful steps.

"Morning." Dean said from his position by the kitchen table and looked up from the paper he'd been reading.

It had been three weeks since Sam had left Sioux Falls General to be admitted under the care of his big brother and surrogate father. Even though Sam had improved on a lot of levels, it was no secret that he was still sick as a dog – the dialysis not making him healthier but keeping him alive.

Dean watched Sam's steps towards the table with a watchful look, ready to jump up and catch his brother if Sam should fall. _I won't be able to prevent you from falling, Sammy, but I'll always be here to catch you if you do._

"I'm not gonna fall." Sam said as if he'd been reading Dean's thoughts. "You can stop looking at me like that."

"I'm not looking at you like anything." Dean said and tore his eyes away from Sam, only to watch his steps the next moment again.

Sam rolled his eyes and plopped down on a kitchen chair with an exhausted sigh. Dean took a sip of his coffee and then eyed his brother.

"Breakfast?" Dean asked and pushed a plate with toasted bread and a little bit of jam towards Sam.

Sam gazed at the breakfast critically and then shot Dean a look.

"I'm sorry but it was all I could find in the fridge of stuff you're allowed to eat." Dean apologized.

There were a lot of things Sam wasn't allowed to eat at the moment, since his body simply couldn't process it now that his kidneys weren't functioning as well as they should have. The look Sam had on his face after Dean's remark about the food could easily have broken the older brother into tears. It wasn't fair that Sam was deathly ill and hurting and still wasn't even allowed to eat what he wanted to do. If Dean hadn't known how important it was for Sam's health to keep Sam on the right diet, he would gladly had jumped right out of his chair and made that disgusting peanut butter and banana sandwich, that Sam seemed to love so much, just to make his little brother happy.

Sam didn't say anything. He just stared at his food for a long while before he finally lifted up a piece of toast and took a small bite of it. Dean pretended to read an article in the paper while he kept an eye on his brother to make sure Sam did eat his food. The youngest Winchester brother was too thin for Dean's liking as it was.

"Where's Bobby?" Sam wanted to know.

"Out on a supply run." Dean answered and got up from his chair to find Sam's meds.

And boy, did his little brother need a lot of meds! Blood pressure medicine, iron supplements, vitamins and Phosphorus-lowering medication – among other stuff.

"Hey Dean, I've been thinking.." Sam said.

"Yeah, you think too much Sammy." Dean sighed and placed Sam's meds in front of him.

"Will you please listen?" Sam complained. "I'm trying to say something here."

"I'll listen as soon as you've taken your meds." Dean said.

The two brothers stared at each other – both with stubborn expressions – until Sam finally gave in and took his medicine.

"Atta boy." Dean said with a wry smile. "What would you have done without me?"

"Well, that's exactly what I wanted to talk to you about." Sam said. "No one knows how long I'm gonna be like this, Dean. From what the doctor said, I'm probably not gonna be off dialysis at all."

"Where are you going with this, Sam?" Dean asked and washed a hand down his face in exasperation.

"There're people out there who need to be saved." Sam said. "And I can't do it. I could barely walk from the living room to the kitchen without wearing out, Dean. I don't want you to be stuck here with me for the rest of your life."

"Wow wow, hang on a minute." Dean interrupted with a frown. "You think I'm _stuck_ here with you?"

"All I'm saying is that you could be out there right now saving lives, carrying on the family business." Sam started when Dean cut him off once more.

"And why would I do that? It's my job to protect you and take care of you!" Dean said.

"Says who? Dad?" Sam asked. "I want you to do what _you_ wanna do, Dean! Look, I can stay here with Bobby, stay on my treatment, go to the check-ups on the hospital.."

"I'm not listening to this." Dean said with a humorless laugh while shaking his head.

"Why not?" Sam asked.

"Because it's crap, Sam! Okay?" Dean exclaimed and started pacing back and forth in the kitchen. "Do you really think I would take off and leave you behind? Well think again because I won't."

"But Dean.." Sam said.

"I mean it, Sam!" Dean practically shouted. "You're seriously ill – now is _not_ the time to play Mr. Independent. And screw that, how can you even _think_ I'm not here with you because I want to be?"

"But dad always told you.." Sam started.

"Sammy." Dean said, this time in a calm voice as he crouched down a bit in front of his younger brother and put a hand on Sam's shoulder while catching his eyes. "I'm _not_ watching out for you because dad told me to, okay? I'm here because you're my little brother and there's nowhere I would rather be than here with you. I would die for you in a heartbeat."

Sam looked at Dean with eyes full of emotion and swallowed hard after that revelation.

"And you're also _so_ annoying! Always making me go all chick-flicky, you little bitch." Dean said to lessen the tension which paid off when a wry smile spread on Sam's face.

"You're such a big jerk, Dean." Sam said which made the older brother chuckle.

"Finish the rest of your breakfast, dude." Dean said before he left the kitchen to go use the bathroom.

Dean was confident that they could make this work. He could take care of his brother for as long as Sam needed it – even if that meant for the rest of their lives. Dean Winchester was a hunter but most importantly; he was a big brother. And Sammy always came first.

Dean was on his way back to the kitchen when he heard a loud clattering sound followed by a thud, and he sprinted the last piece of way back to the kitchen. What met his sight had the older brother's heart stop for a second. Pieces of crockery of what had once been one of Bobby's plates were now spread all over the kitchen floor, and in the middle of it all was Sam.

"Sam!" Dean exclaimed and slid down on his knees in front of his brother before hauling the younger man into his arms. "Sam! Oh God, no, no. Sammy?"

Dean shook his brother a couple of times and when nothing happened, he searched for Sam's pulse and let out a relieved sigh when he found one.

"Sam, come on man. Wake up." Dean begged and repeatedly carded a hand through Sam's bangs.

"Dean, what's going on?" Bobby's voice suddenly asked as he came into the kitchen with a bag of groceries. "What happened?"

"I don't know, Bobby. I left him alone for two seconds and then I found him like this." Dean said and held his unconscious brother close.

"I'm calling an ambulance." Bobby announced before he grabbed one of his many phones and dialed 911.

**_ SPN _**

The ambulance arrived in the old salvage yard in Sioux Falls exactly eight minutes later. Dean had still been holding Sam in his arms when the paramedics showed up in the kitchen, and he had had a hard time letting Sam go so the medics could do their job.

"What's your brother's name?" One of the paramedic had asked as he had lifted Sam's eyelids and checked Sam's pupils with a small flashlight.

"It's Sam." Dean had answered. "He has kidney failure."

"Sam? Sam, can you hear me?" The paramedic asked in a loud and clear voice but Sam didn't respond.

"How old is he?" The paramedic asked while the other one put an oxygen mask over Sam's mouth and nose.

"23." Dean announced. "How is he? Is he okay?"

"Don't worry, we'll take good care of your brother." The paramedic said before Sam was loaded onto a gurney and wheeled out of the room.

"Let's go." Bobby had told the oldest Winchester brother and patted Dean's back in a gentle way. "I'll drive."

Sam's doctor had been paged the moment the young hunter had arrived at the hospital and he'd showed up to examine Sam right away, while Dean and Bobby had politely been asked to wait in the waiting area. Dean was on his second cup of coffee when the doctor finally shown up and asked the two men to follow him to his office.

"What's going on, doc?" Dean wanted to know as soon as he'd closed the door behind him.

"I have to be honest with you, Dean." The doctor sighed. "It doesn't look too well. Sam's kidneys have decided to give up."

" _What?_ " Dean and Bobby exclaimed at the same time.

"But I don't understand. I thought Sam was improving." Dean said.

"So did I." The doctor admitted. "But on this stage of renal failure, the kidneys sometimes stop functioning all together. Now, I know you want to know what options Sam has so I'll cut right to it. The only chance Sam has of surviving is by getting a kidney transplantation."

"Okay, whatever it takes to save him." Dean said.

"But isn't there a lot of people on the waiting list for kidney transplantations?" Bobby asked.

"Unfortunately, yes." The doctor answered.

"What does that mean?" Dean asked. "That Sam has to stay on a waiting list for an uncertain amount of time before he can be treated?"

"That is one option." The doctor confirmed. "However, it is also a possibility to find a family member who will.."

"I'll do it." Dean said before the doctor could finish his sentence. "If Sam needs a kidney, I'll give him one of mine."

"Are you sure? Because you don't have to decide anything today." The doctor said. "It's a very big decision to choose whether or not to donate a kidney, and your family probably wants to have a saying."

"I'm all he's got and I don't need time to think, I'm sure." Dean said and Bobby nodded in confirm.

"Once the boy sets his mind on something, there's no turning back." Bobby said.

"Alright, but there're still a number of tests you have to go through to determine if you're an ideal donor for Sam." The doctor said. "You have to have a compatible blood type and be in good health among other stuff. You have to receive a physical, a series of laboratory and X-ray tests as well as an EKG and urine testing before we can decide if you're the right match."

"No problem." Dean said. "But before we get started on those tests doc, can I see my brother?"

"I'll show you to his room." The doctor said and led the way.

**_ SPN _**

Dean could never get used to the sight of seeing Sam hooked up to numerous of machines while looking so pale and still in the hospital bed. Sam had been awake when Dean showed up in the hospital room, and the older brother had no problems noticing the relief in Sam's eyes when they caught sight of Dean.

"Hi Sammy." Dean said and sat down next to his brother's bed like he'd done so many times in the past period of time.

"What happened?" Sam asked.

"You passed out in Bobby's kitchen." Dean explained. "Thanks for the heart attack and the broken plate."

"Sorry." Sam snorted and fidgeted a little with the nasal cannula.

"Leave that." Dean said and removed Sam's fingers from the oxygen device.

"When can we go back to Bobby's?" Sam then asked.

Dean sighed and bit his lower lip. This was not the part of the conversation he'd been looking forward to.

"Sammy, I talked to the doctor." Dean said. "Your kidneys are not really functioning anymore so you need to have a kidney transplantation."

"What?" Sam asked with wide eyes.

"Yeah." Dean nodded and kept eye contact with his brother who looked more and more upset with every passing second. "And if all goes well, I'm gonna be the donor."

Sam's eyes got even bigger and he dropped his lower jaw.

"No Dean." Sam said when he finally managed to find his voice. "It's too risky. I won't let you."

"It isn't even half as dangerous as some of the stuff we do for a living." Dean said. "Besides, I've already made up my mind about this and nothing you can say will change that. This way, I get to save your life."

Sam seemed to consider that for a while before he finally decided it was useless to discuss any further, so instead he reached out a hand and gave Dean's knee a gentle squeeze.

"Thank you." Sam said and looked at Dean with big puppy dog eyes.

"You would have done the same for me." Dean said and Sam smiled.

"Of course I would." Sam said.


	7. Chapter 7

When the doctor had told Dean he had to go through a lot of tests, the man sure as hell wasn't kidding. That was what Dean had concluded after having been sent back and forth between different parts of the hospital so many times that day that he'd lost count on all the many tests he'd had to go through. It didn't bother him though because, after all, this was something he did for Sam – to hopefully be a match and save his younger brother. The only thing that _did_ bother the young hunter about it was the fact that he'd barely been able to see Sam at all that day. Fortunately, Bobby had decided to stay and had been watching over the youngest Winchester while Dean had gone through the tests.

"Dean." Bobby said with faked surprise when Dean walked into Sam's hospital room. "Good to see you. You got lost or something?"

"I've been thoroughly examined." Dean sighed. "I kinda feel like I have to take a shower after all this."

"Cute." Bobby said with sarcasm while Sam let out a snort.

"How are you, Sammy?" Dean asked and sat down on the edge of the hospital bed. "You holding up?"

"Yeah. I'm fine." Sam said - with a face as pale as snow - which didn't convince the older brother one bit.

"Yeah, you look fine." Dean said ironically and shook his head.

"Did the doctors tell you anything?" Sam wanted to know.

"No but some of the _nurses_ couldn't keep their eyes off me." Dean smirked and Sam rolled his eyes.

"No, I meant about the whole transplant thing?" Sam said.

"I know what you meant." Dean said, turning serious again. "And no, they haven't said anything yet. I'm waiting for the test results."

"Well, I'll find us some caffeine to go along with the wait." Bobby said and left the room – leaving the two brothers alone.

"So, have Bobby and you been sharing geeky anecdotes while I was away?" Dean asked.

"Dean." Sam said.

"What?" The older brother wanted to know.

"We have to talk about it." Sam said.

"Talk about what?" Dean asked as he smoothed out Sam's blankets without looking at the youngest Winchester.

"You know what." Sam sighed. "The possibility that you aren't a match."

"I'll be a match." Dean said and held up a hand to stop Sam from protesting. "I know I can't know anything for sure so spare me the lecture. But Sam, I made you a promise and I'm sticking to that promise no matter what. It actually doesn't matter how the test results will turn out – somehow or in some way, I _will_ find a way to fix you."

Sam looked at Dean, and Dean returned the offer. No more words needed to be shared because the look they gave each other said it all.

"You wanna watch some TV?" Dean said after a little while of silence.

"Sure." Sam said with a nod of his head and Dean shot him a smile before grabbing the remote and turning on the TV.

"Well would you look at that!" Dean grinned after flicking through a few uninteresting channels. "A rerun of Baywatch! That's something you like, huh Sammy?"

"Dude, _you_ were the one plastered to the screen every time a girl in a bathing suit turned up." Sam said with a glare.

"That's not how I remember it." Dean said with a wry smile on his face.

Sam huffed and rolled his eyes. Dean's smile grew bigger in amusement.

**_ SPN _**

"I have news." The doctor announced the following day when he stepped into the room that was occupied by the Winchester brothers and their surrogate father.

Bobby immediately straightened up in his chair while Dean jumped to his feet. Sam tensed a little from his position on the bed.

"We're listening." Bobby said.

"The tests we did on you, Sam, determined that you're suitable for surgery." The doctor said. "There shouldn't be anything indicating that you can't have a kidney transplant."

"And the tests you did on me?" Dean asked.

The doctor turned his attention to the older brother and Dean felt his heart pounding like a jackhammer inside his chest.

"You're in good health, kid." The doctor told him. "You and Sam share the same blood type, and your kidney will be a great match for your brother."

Dean closed his eyes and let out a big sigh as relief washed over him. For once luck was with them and Dean could have broken down in tears by the mere thought of it. Bobby was asking the doctor for more information but Dean heard none of it. He opened his eyes back up and turned his head towards Sam who was looking back at him with eyes full of emotion. A smile slowly spread on Dean's face. He was going to be able to keep the promise he'd made his little brother – Sam was gonna be alright.

**_ SPN _**

Bobby Singer considered himself a patient man. He _had_ to be since he'd once been Rufus Turner's partner - and that seriously required an endless amount of patience, that's for sure! However, having patience was not something the older hunter from Sioux Falls could brag about on this particular day. Not when the two boys, he considered as his own, were both going through surgery.

Sam's doctor, who was an old friend of Bobby's, had talked Bobby through everything he needed to know about the surgery. Still, Bobby now had tons of questions and none of the nurses on duty seemed to be able to answer those questions for him.

"Anything?" Bobby asked for what could have been anywhere between the fifth and the twentieth time since the Winchester brothers had been rolled into surgery.

One of the two working nurses rolled her eyes and walked away from the nurses station, but the other one took pity on the older hunter and offered him an apologetic smile.

"I'm sorry Mr. Singer." She said. "No news yet but I'll let you know as soon as I hear something."

"Thank you." Bobby said and returned to the chair in the waiting room he'd been occupying for several hours by now.

Bobby had been present when the brothers had been prepared for surgery. There hadn't been any big emotional scenes like the ones you would find in a soap opera. There'd been no ' _I love you_ 'or anything like that. What Bobby _had_ seen before Dean and Sam had been rolled away, were two brothers; one slightly frightened little brother and one reassuring big brother who had exchanged a look and locked hands for a moment.

"It's okay." Dean had simply said and, to Bobby's big surprise, Sam had seemed to relax by those words and had even managed a little smile.

Bobby had no idea why it had surprised him though. He'd known the boys since Sam had still been wearing diapers and the brothers had always had such a special bond. Dean had always been incredible in his way of handling his little brother so why should this situation be any different?

"Mr. Singer?" A female voice asked and Bobby snapped out of his thoughts before looking up at the nurse in front of him.

"Yeah?" Bobby said with wide eyes.

"I have news about your nephews." The nurse smiled. "One of them is in recovery – the other one still in surgery."

"Can I see him?" Bobby asked as he quickly got up from his seat.

"You can." The nurse confirmed. "I'll show you to his room but he's still going to be out for a while."

The nurse shared a few details about the surgeries as she led the salvage yard owner to the recovery room, and Bobby thanked her before he opened up the door to the hospital room and went inside. Bobby smiled fondly when his eyes caught sight of the young boy on the bed. He pulled a chair up next to the bed and carefully minded the IV-lines as Bobby placed his hand on top of the boy's. He let his eyes travel from the beeping heart monitor to the peaceful face of the young sleeping Winchester brother.

"I hope you know what a great brother you have, son." Bobby said to the guy. "The nurse told me he ran into a few complications during surgery but don't you worry; he'll be by your side shortly, Sam."

Bobby smiled in relief when he saw the bag of golden fluid attached to the side of the bed. It meant that Sam was producing urine which furthermore meant that Sam's body was accepting Dean's kidney as its own. Bobby's relief was evident once more when Dean was wheeled into the room twenty minutes later and situated right next to his younger brother.

"They're both going to be just fine." The doctor promised. "Sam will have to stay at the hospital for the next four to seven days while we keep an eye on his new kidney. There are a number of medicines he must use for the rest of his life to suppress the immune system from rejecting the kidney, and some food products I discourage him to eat, but he'll be okay and you don't need to worry about Dean either. They're some tough boys."

"Yeah, they sure are." Bobby agreed and glanced at the brothers before following the doctor out of the room. "Hey, you care to tell me more about the surgeries over a cup of coffee? If I'm gonna listen to their bickering anytime soon, I gotta get some more caffeine into my system."

**_ SPN _**

Dean's throat felt as dry as sandpaper and he smacked his lips a couple of times before shifting a little in his bed. By doing so, he realized how sore his stomach was and that made him frown. What kind of hunt had they been on this time? And why couldn't he remember returning to the motel room?

"Dean?" His brother's voice asked and Dean automatically turned his head towards the sound of it and blinked his eyes open.

"Sammy?" Dean asked the blurry figure a few feet away from him.

He blinked a couple of more times, and the blurry figure slowly morphed into Sam who was looking at him from the motel bed next to him. No hang on a minute – _hospital_ bed, not motel bed.

"Wha-" Dean began but then he remembered; the hospital, the kidney transplant, _Sam._ "How did it go? You doing alright?"

"You always worry too much." Sam said with a wry smile before leaning back in his bed and closing his eyes.

"Just answer the question, Sam." Dean demanded.

"Well, it turns out I've got myself a new kidney." Sam said, still with his eyes closed. "So I guess you're stuck with me a little while longer after all."

"Told you so." Dean said with a smile of his own before closing his eyes as well.

"Thanks for keeping your promise." Sam slurred out before sleep claimed him fully.

"That's what family is for." Dean said in a soft voice and followed his brother into oblivion.

 

* * *

 

Prequel can be found here: [Just a Bug](http://archiveofourown.org/works/2905583/chapters/6474884)

 

 


End file.
